1. Field of Invention
The present invention generally relates to a vehicle speed control means, and more particular to an improved vehicle speed bump which incorporates one or more devices for vehicle speed sensing, a system of controls for extending and retracting the bump, allows un-impeded cleaning of the road surface by mechanical equipment such as, road sweepers, mobile vacuum cleaners, snow plows and the like, and provide positive drainage of rainfall or melted snow.
2. Prior Art
Speed bumps are utilized as active warning devices for motorists, by creating a nuisance which results in the form of vibrations on a the wheels of a moving vehicle, such vibrations having an annoying effect on the operator and passengers within the vehicle.
The use of these devices in school parking lots, exits and entrances to parking lots and the like, driveways, roadways, highways, approaches to construction zones, tollways, toll booth vicinities, and other controlled crossings, is well known. Most of the existing speed bumps are merely spaced rubber, steel, concrete or asphaltic bars, secured on the top of the roadway surface, and are severely subject to deterioration due to the effects of varying weather conditions and continuous traffic over them, while in their singular, static positions.
Moreover, they do not retract to prevent slow moving and/or emergency vehicles, such as ambulances, fire trucks, law enforcement vehicles and school busses, from being jolted when passing over the bumps, and in some cases they are susceptible to damage by, and to, road surface cleaning and snow plowing mechanical equipment operations.
See, for example, the speed bumps of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,362,424; (Barber) U.S. Pat. No. 4,697,294; (Schafer), U.S. Pat. No. 5,106,226; (Fanslow et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,991; (Mandavi), some of which are of improved design but essentially of the same basic type.
Certain other speed bumps have been devised, in which the bumps can be extended or retracted, as needed, either by mechanical tools (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,012,156--Turner et al. ), or by remotely operated hydraulic pistons (See U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,342,525--Mastronuzzi; U.S. Pat. No. 4,354,771--Dickinson and U.S. Pat. No. 4,490,068--Dickinson.)
However, not all of these devices allow for the slow moving vehicles to negotiate them without sustaining a jolt, nor do they provide for immediate retraction or extension on signal from priority vehicles such as police, fire trucks, school busses, locomotives approaching level railroad crossings and the like.
Accordingly there remains a need for an improved speed bump which can be extended and/or retracted, by remote control signalling, emanating from emergency and priority vehicles, be manually operational from local controls, automatically operational at set periods of time, and operational by vehicle speed sensing device remotely located to detect approaching vehicle speeds at a pre-determined distance from the speed bump.
Such a speed bump device should be durable, cost effective be adjustable to road surface grade elevations increases due to road resurface repaving operations, allow for efficient and non-destructive roadway sweeping, snow removal, provides positive drainage of rainfall, is inherently safe to traverse in both directions whether in the raised or retracted positions and require only basic preventive maintenance servicing. The speed bump device should, in addition be capable of being mounted as a singular unit, or multiples wherein they are connected in series or parallel configurations.
Accordingly, it is the object of this invention to provide an improved retractable speed bump which meets all these conditions, and provide, in a particular application, additional warning of approaching railroad traffic at "railway-street/road" intersections, wherein speed bumps are activated by way of the signalling from the approaching locomotive, or rail-road crossing light signal control unit.